Texas A&M Notebook: Disaster in Starkville for Aggies in 42-24 Blowout Loss to Mississippi State

Three key takeaways from the Aggies' loss to the Bulldogs.

While the Week 4 upset of the Arkansas Razorbacks saw everything go right for the Texas A&M Aggies, their matchup against the Mississippi State Bulldogs was the exact opposite of that scenario. 

There is no way to describe the Aggies' performance other than ugly, as this game was never really close. The offense was lethargic for large stretches while the defense was gashed both through the air and on the ground in a 42-24 blowout loss at the hands of the Bulldogs. 

Now, here are three key takeaways from the Aggies' loss to the Bulldogs. 

Ugly red zone offense

If you get the ball inside the opponents' red zone in football, you have to come away with some points if you want to win games. Well, someone forgot to get that memo to the Aggies' offense as they were downright atrocious running their offense in the red zone on Saturday. 

Their first four red zone possessions saw them commit two turnovers, get held to a field goal after a fumble recovery by the defense and a blocked field goal returned for a Bulldog touchdown. You cannot win games like that, especially against an offense of Mississippi State's caliber. 

Achane does his thing

The Aggies' offense was ugly for large parts of the game as quarterback Max Johnson struggled to get anything going through the air. As a result they turned to their lead running back Devon Achane, who carried the load against the Bulldogs in the Aggies' 42-24 loss. 

Achane finished the game with 111 rushing yards on 16 carries, averaging an impressive 6.9 yards per rush. While the Aggies didn't come away with a win in this one, Achane continues to show why he's the lead running back, boosting his draft stock in the process. 

Where is the defense? 

Texas A&M knew coming in that Mississippi State would want to air the ball out, and stopping that would go a long way in winning this game. However, that was not what happened, as the Bulldogs gashed the Aggies through the air. Quarterback Will Rogers completed 31-of-45 passes for 329 yards and three touchdowns. 

As well, the Bulldogs absolutely tore the Aggies' run defense apart in this one. An offense that came in only averaging 80 yards per game on the ground recorded 144 yards rushing and a touchdown, with the Aggie defense simply unable to get off the field. 

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You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98

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